The Lone Ranger

2013, 12, Directed by Gore Verbinski
Starring: Armie Hammer, Johnny Depp, Tom Wilkinson, Ruth Wilson 

 

Let's address the elephant in the review; since its US release, The Lone Ranger has proved to be one of Disney's biggest flops since John Carter, and the biggest flop of the year. The big-screen incarnation of the gun-slinging masked lawman - here played by The Social Network's Armie Hammer - is a Disney/Bruckheimer (Jerry to his friends) team-up, a previous marriage that has since elevated the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise into one of the world's biggest. Lightning, it appears, doesn't strike twice. 

Peer beneath the misty surface though, and you just might find something to enjoy. In actual fact, don't feel guilty if you find numerous things to list off as positives afterwards. The not-so secret weapon Disney, Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski have deployed here is Jack Sparrow himself, Johnny Depp. Proving perceptible to poor box office doesnt detract from the performance - Depp is Tonto, a red Indian of few words whose alarming appearance is a combination of face make up and dead crow on head. Chilling with our lead for most of the running time, our Ranger isn't so lonesome, more exasperated at the hi-jinks being performed around him. 

 A reboot of the famous 50s TV Serial, Tonto narrates as Hammer's John Reid undergoes transformation from lawman to gunslinger as he attempts to track down notorious bandit Butch Cavendish (William Fichtner), keep brother's wife Rebecca (Luther's Ruth Wilson - oh so wasted) from harm, and do numerous other things that were probably a lot more fun to act out than watch.
 

 Many gleaming errors to address, but room for only a few: Hammer - dry and droll as both Winklewoss twins in David Fincher's modern classic Facebook drama - truly struggles to make the transaction to lead hero status, even more so when it's considered the role requires comedic wit, timing and slapstick abilities when there's not much there (shoving the funniest of us beside Johnny Depp without a crow on his head would be left gasping for air); the film, as per several 'blockbusters', outstays it's welcome by around 45 minutes. Far too long when the material doesn't warrant it. But let's throw this back to Depp. Less vocal than Sparrow, Tonto's mere facial expressions could trigger belly laughs. Could. His deadpan exterior and death-cheating nuance is a lazy effort underneath it all, but still remains The Lone Ranger's double-edged sword; he manages to light up the screen with several jokey moments, but obliterates Hammer's charisma into yesteryear.
 

Regardless, haven't you heard? This is the summer of the breathless chase sequence atop speeding vehicles! (Star Trek Into Darkness, The Wolverine, and countless train-chase moments here). Credit where credit's due, these scenes are insanely well-choreographed and played by the supporting players with relish, and if there's even a smidgen of childish innocence remaining inside of you, they should leave you marvelling in wonder and giggling with delight on more than one occasion. Should.

 

 This review couldn't end without a mention going towards Silver, the lone ranger's stallion equipped with his very own specific set of skills. Utterly charming.

 

Moments of promise amounts to merely watchable fodder that outstays its welcome. Judging by its vindictive response, a Lone Ranger sequel looks unlikely; the harsh irony being that the only way to prevent a mindlessly churned-out sequel is for the film to underperform at the box office. That thought in itself is worse than any thoughts this film induced. See for yourself.

 

2.5/5

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Lincoln

2012, 12, Directed by Steven Spielberg
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Tommy Lee Jones

In development for long enough to question whether Steven Spielberg’s planned opus of American historical legend Abraham Lincoln would actually make it onto celluloid with a credible filmmaker responsible, the aptly-titled Lincoln finally makes its grandiose arrival on the big screen with nothing short of universal widespread acclaim attached to it. Like we knew it would.  Like or dislike the ‘Spielbergian’ stature his films belie, it proves tough not to carve high expectations at what’s to come, and clench the arms of your seat tightly as the film begins. For not only has the renowned director, behind some of the biggest blockbusters the world’s seen, appeared to have made something cut more from the same cloth as his smaller-but-equally-dramatic efforts like, say, Munich, but has compiled a character actor cast to end all character actor casts – led by character-acting sensation Daniel Day-Lewis.

As far as historical biopics go, this is transcendant of what audiences will come to expect; bravely overlooking Abe's personal history for the history he created, we are spared of any troubled past he may have had, of any struggles he contended with - of what made Lincoln the President he was. Instead, Spielberg pinpoints a legacy-defining spectrum of his life, providing us with much of this context without clogging the film with unecessary development... In a film with a running time of 150 minutes, you'd agree this to be important. As the Civil War continues to end lives on the battlefield, Lincoln is forced to fight a war with his fellow cabinet members over a crucial decision to pass the 13th Amendment, which plans to see all slavery abolished. This means prolonging the oncoming peace of the ongoing war whilst he ensures the Congress will pass this law he is so intent on changing, providing solid investment to this part of Abe's presidency - a strand that could have been flitted over in the hands of many other directors. The outcome may be written in school text books, but these performances will restrict your eyes from straying. Two-time Oscar winner Day-Lewis is streamlined as Lincoln, a sea of calm despite the convoluted pressure he is forced to face in order to reach the conclusion he so yearns. A man of few words, the president provides anecdotes every so often, like a little-used wind-up toy; this is the very definition of show-stopping, perfectly complemented by Tony Kushner's screenplay: each would be great without the other, but combined? Something special emanates from Spielberg's film. Sally Field, as his erratically-minded wife, provides able support and scene-steals every scene Day-Lewis isn't in; Tommy Lee Jones as Republican Thaddeus Stevens is everything you have come to expect from the actor, providing heart in a gruff role; David Strathairn, Hal Holbrook, James Spader, John Hawkes - this is an astoundingly-assembled cast who all add depth to their otherwise indiscernible figures. It says a lot about a cast when Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the weak link (here playing Lincoln's son, Robert.)

But Lincoln, for all of its merits (and Academy Award nominations - 12, in total) is by no means perfect, and at 150 minutes, far too long. It appears that Spielberg's heartfelt summer tentpoles are something of the past, for Lincoln doesn't only require time, but attention - no toilet breaks for this one. Think Inception - but in place of action, you have dialogue. Once invested however, there is no danger of losing interest - and an overwhelming feeling that lingers throughout will make you wonder whether the renowned director has reached a new stage of filmmaking. For a man who has been crafting masterpieces for decades, his portrayal of Honest Abe could be one of his most honest pieces of work yet.

4/5 

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Les Misérables

2012, 12, Directed by Tom Hooper
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Eddie Redmayne, Anne Hathaway, Samantha Barks, Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen, Aaron Tveit   

Usually, you find that people don't tend to like Les Misérables, the theatre sensation seen by over 60 million people across 42 countries... they unconditionally love it; an unthinkably tough undertaking then for Tom Hooper (looking for another King's Speech-sized hit) who has been potentially disastrously tasked with applying the Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil and Herbert Kretzmer pinnacle of all musicals to cinemas. If that wasn’t pressure enough, Hooper has opted to shoot his subjects singing as the action transpires – in other words, live. Three cheers for none of that distracting miming! This does mean the film requires – due to this bold directorial decision (something of a revelation for a film this big) - actors who can actually hold notes. 

The story, for those not included in the hefty stats mentioned above, tracks prisoner Jean Valjean, first seen lugging warships from the ocean alongside thousands of his fellows. Prison guard Javert releases him on parole, but Valjean skips town and 8 years later, is an established factory owner in the town he has become mayor of. But through an encounter with factory worker Fantine, struggling to fend for her illegitimate daughter Cosette, he happens upon a chance encounter with Javert, who swore 8 years previous to one day bring the escaped convict to justice. Fans know this is the tip of a very large and loud iceberg – bear in mind, the musical’s source material is Victor Hugo's five-volumed brick of a novel – but at its heart, Les Misérables is Valjean’s story, a moral man who fears his petty villainy of the past may threaten whatever happiness he aspires to reach. Hugh Jackman plays the man, showcasing this moral crisis through the emotion-layered vocals. A much-loved character in theatre, Jackman won't be to everybody's taste as Valjean, but what he adds to the role in this different medium amounts to breathtaking; a career best, even. He is backed up by a supporting cast of individuals who each grab their moment when it presents itself, Anne Hathaway the one on most people’s lips. Her Oscar-winning (c'mon, she's a dead cert!) portrayal of Fantine may be brief but it lingers throughout the film, her effect on Valjean's life echoed through the lingering lyrics of the hugely enjoyable, and bloody catchy, songs. Russell Crowe's performance should do enough to put a full stop to all the critical comments undeservedly hurled his way - as Javert, he seems humbled and contained; a welcome screen presence whenever he rides his horse into the frame. The remainder are all able: Amanda Seyfried (the film's weakest addition, as Cosette,) Eddie Redmayne (the singing student revolutionist, Marius,) and plucked from the stage in her first screen role, Samantha Barks (she doesn't so much become Éponine as use her to showcase a burdgeoning film career ahead of the actress.)  Mention must go to the Thénadiers AKA Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen rollicking around amongst all the doom and gloom in their crazy garb. In what could have been a serious bout of scene-stealing, it's a disappointment that the flamboyant pair (especially the former) underplay it as much as they do. 

At 158 minutes, it's no wonder that Les Misérables threatens to become a slog - but the fact it evades this ensures Tom Hooper's adaptation is the resounding success it deserves to be. The cast do all they can without going overboard, and the merging of the epic visuals and contrasting close-ups, filled with much more than your daily dose of falling tears, clenched jaws and warbling throats hits the right level of entertainment - theatre die-hard or hesitant boyfriend; plenty here for all to sit back and enjoy. 

Once the climax rolls by, regardless of whether that lump has formed in your throat or not, you'll have to fight the irrepressible urge to stand and applaud the cinematic experience that has just been offered to you. You will hear the people sing, alright.

4/5

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Life of Pi

2012, PG, Directed by Ang Lee 
Starring: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Rafe Spall, Tabu

Much has been said about the doubt that surrounded the production of Life of Pi when the rights to adapt Yann Martel's novel were acquired almost a decade ago. Directors came and went (M. Night Shyamalan, Alfonso Cuaron, Jean-Pierre Jeunet) before Ang Lee took hold and - thankfully - never let go. The doubt stemmed from what is the film's centrepiece second act; a boy's family and animals from their dried-up zoo are being escorted from India to Canada when a storm causes the ship to go down. The boy, Piscine Patel (shortened to Pi due to a bout of bullying) is stranded in the middle of the ocean with nothing for company except Richard Parker; a savage Bengal tiger. That Lee successfully imagines Martel's pages is an understatement; visually, this is a success of home-run proportions.

The film's opening in India, doubled with the glorious soundtrack pitted to the roaming animals of the family's zoo is perhaps one of the most aesthetically-pleasing opening credits sequence that completely captures what this film is about - 3D has never been so relaxing. Once the shipwreck has occurred - the 3D of which has never been so breathless - the visual interplay between Pi and his animal companions (not to spoil anything, but there's a few) is movie magic, the unpredictability of the creatures ramping up the heart race. Ang Lee may have once weighed down his interpretation of Hulk with unnecessarily bold bravura, but if Life of Pi is lesson learned then Hulk could find fresh appreciation in Hollywood. Lee creates scenes within scenes, changing nothing but backdrop and uses the heavy inclusion of water to his advantage; the number of underwater scenes that depict characters as if they're soaring through the clouds is, simply put, pleasant to watch. Just sit back and revel at the spectacle of a whale leaping out of the expansive sea, luminescent with jellyfish.

As for the film’s acting talent, Suraj Sharma's debut which sees him acting alongside nothing but CGI (the most finely-tuned since Rise of the Planet of the Apes) is so on the money you don’t even realise it. No wonder he’s just been selected for the BAFTA Rising Star award. Irrfan Khan and Rafe Spall as the adult Pi and a writer looking for a good story respectively hits the right notes in the bookending present-day scenes. Whichever way you view the divisive third act may slightly hamper your enjoyment of all that has come before and will leave you hungry for explanation; however, the film’s spiritual undertone is prevalent from the outset, and does require you to extend your mind if you wish to draw conclusions from the narrative, even though ambiguity will still remain. Because at its core, Life of Pi isn’t a film about belief – it’s about storytelling...and what a story this is.

4/5

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Lawless

2012, 18, Directed by John Hillcoat
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Guy Pearce, Jessica Chastain

 

The negative traits in re-teaming for a big-screen project after receiving such critical acclaim for your previous effort is that all eyes flicker upon your latest attempt filled with a bucket load of expectation. The 'team' in question here consists of Aussie director John Hillcoat and musician/screenwriter Nick Cave (minus his Bad Seeds) whose 2005 Aussie-set western The Proposition turned heads with inspired moments correlated with show-stopping performances. This highly-anticipated next offering pitches the factual story of the Bondurant brothers, bootleggers who refuse to co-operate with a new lawman in town in Depression-era rural Virginia, and is adapted from novel The Wettest Country in the World - written by Matt Bondurant, grandson to these characters.

The cast, an impressive blend of talents, purport this to be something special, what with man-of-the-moment Tom Hardy shoulder-to-shoulder with character actors Gary Oldman, Guy Pearce and Jessica Chastain. Hardy plays eldest Bondurant Forrest, growling his way through the running time in a captivating manner. Here is an actor fast showing he is one for the ages, one who embodies every being he portrays, one who could be in danger of embodying one character too many. Youngest Bondurant Jack is played with an endearingly witty innocence by Shia LaBeouf who, one hopes, will relish this opportunity to shed his Transformers feathers. Investment in Cave's script relies heavily upon the viewpoint of his character, with LaBeouf bravely proving he can stand up to the occasion alongside Hardy, an underused Oldman (back to his unpredictable self post-Tinker Tailor Oscar nomination) and Pearce - who, as Chicago special agent Rakes, provides the film with a forceful figure of hate.

Hillcoat's skillful mastery of the camera has splashes of genius (one or two scenes are captured with pure beauty that will no doubt bone day e analysed in lecture rooms,) but it's as if the filmmaker lacks conviction in his abilities, instead opting to depict the worn-down cliches Cave's screenplay withholds in predictable manners (an almost-romantic sub-plot involving Frank and Jessica Chastain's Maggie being the main culprit here.) Amidst the alarming action and (at times) gape-inducing brutal violence that shockingly convinces, a sour taste is left in the mouth: once the final shot has left the screen, you will realise that tase is disappointment.

If only Hillcoat had taken the law into his own hands and veered from the rulebook a little more, Lawless could well have been flawless. As it stands, a strangely-classy enjoyable watch that won't demand another.

3/5

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Like Crazy

2011, 15, Directed by Drake Doremus
Starring: Felicity Jones, Anton Yelchin, Jennifer Lawrence, Alex Kingston

Like Crazy is a love story with a twist: Jacob is an American student, whilst Anna is a British student living in America. They fall in love, pre-empting Anna to make the decision that she will outstay the expiry date of her visa, all to spend the summer with her one true love. This is the initial plot of the film, showing us (weirdly fleetingly) the process of how the two met and why they love each other so much (naturally as a furniture designer, he romantically builds her a chair…). When Anna returns home and attempts to visit Jacob back in America, she is denied entry forcing them both into a battle to prevent them from being kept apart. But it all grows tough, especially when new interests enter the fray. Cue lots of nights out where one text’s the other, the recipient reading said text and sheepishly putting the phone back into their pocket.

The problem with Like Crazy is minimal, bearing in mind the many positives. The structure preambles along, with no clear sense of direction; the whole film seems like a series of repeated events played out with different emotions often bordering on tedious. But it is to the credit of Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones, who play the hapless romantics, that everything remains watchable and grounded in reality (even though the events are said to be based on the director’s real-life experiences). Mention must go to Jennifer Lawrence, who plays the new girl Jacob sees when in America – this actress, most recently seen in The Hunger Games, is definitely the next big thing. For those who can relate to the idea of a long-distance relationship and the struggle in the up-keep of this, Like Crazy will be everything you want from a romantic film. For everyone else, you will feel all the emotions the film wants you to feel, but without leaving you anything to chew on afterwards.

All in all, a bittersweet film elevated by the performances, providing some sort of promise.

3/5 

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Limitless

2011, 15, Directed by Neil Burger
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Robert De Niro, Anna Friel

The tagline to Limitless reads ‘What if a pill could make you rich and powerful?’: to the point, tongue-in-cheek and completely zany. It just so happens that Limitless is all of these things heightened by Neil Burger’s apt way of shooting the simplest action in a frenetic manner, causing the audience to question whether that very same pill has been slipped into their popcorn. Bradley Cooper is a down on his luck writer, his mind blocked by the world weighing him down. That is until he bumps into the brother of his ex (Anna Friel) who introduces him to one tiny pill that will alter many things in his life on a grand scale. Many genres somehow weave their way into the fast-paced set-pieces, from inane action (think a doped up but less extreme Crank) to horror (a cat-and-mouse chase with a mind-enhancing pill as your only getaway). Cooper – taking a break from one-dimensional roles – brings charm to what could have been more smarm. It seems Burger takes his film’s title literally, believing the ambition involved to be just that. Unfortunately, through the pushing of these limits is where the film manages to falter.

Saying that, it’s always nice to see Robert De Niro doing something worth talking about these days…

3/5

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Love and Other Drugs

2010, 15, Directed by Edward Zwick
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jake Gyllenhaal, Oliver Platt, Josh Gad

 

Devoid of enough sugary schmaltz to make this a somewhat original rom-'com', Ed Zwick’s offering sees part-time drug rep, full-time ladies man Jamie encounter and fall for Parkinson’s sufferer Maggie. Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway further solidify their capability in tackling more challenging roles than most as the commitment-fearing ‘couple’ who find themselves powerlessly drawn to each other. The connecting cogs begin to dislodge as the film progresses, weaving genres (an awkward comedic element in the form of Jamie’s brother, played by Josh Gad, reoccurs) and an under-playing of a clever subplot trails before full potential is grasped. The film peaks when convention is avoided – so for the most part – but Zwick includes noticeable tropes in the third act. Despite its flaws, the remarkable central performances cause Love and Other Drugs to stand out from the rest. 

3/5

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